Northside Grill has a lot of brunch competition in Ann Arbor. I've eaten here maybe five times in the last five years (one time being last weekend). In short: Northside Grill doesn't wow me, it doesn't disappoint me, it's just a place to get brunch.
Regarding not being wowed, I generally feel like the menu isn't that creative, the food doesn't have all that much taste, and the ambiance is definitely diner-y. It is, in short, a forgettable meal.
Regarding not being disappointed, I've always had a filling meal here, I really like their music selection, and their menu is kind to vegetarians. Prices are okay. Finally, I appreciate that, if there's a wait and you find yourself sitting on the bench outside, they have a dispenser for free mini cups of coffee. With that said, and while I don't drink coffee, myself, I've heard that the coffee is pretty bad, unfortunately.
So I find myself feeling that Northside Grill is A-OK. They don't have big draws the way Angelo's has homemade bread or Sava's has a buffet. But it's reliable and fine diner food.
I just learned that they have a small side-porch, so I would be curious to sit outside and eat. But if you gave me other local brunch locations as choices instead of the porch here, I'd probably choose the other places.
They have their own parking lot and parking is free. • • •

Northside Grill has a lot of brunch competition in Ann Arbor. I've eaten here maybe five times in the last five years (one time being last weekend). In short: Northside Grill doesn't wow me, it doesn't disappoint me, it's just a place to get brunch.
Regarding not being wowed, I generally feel like the menu isn't that creative, the food doesn't have all that much taste, and the ambiance is definitely diner-y. It is, in short, a forgettable meal.
Regarding not being disappointed, I've always had a filling meal here, I really like their music selection, and their menu is kind to vegetarians. Prices are okay. Finally, I appreciate that, if there's a wait and you find yourself sitting on the bench outside, they have a dispenser for free mini cups of coffee. With that said, and while I don't drink coffee, myself, I've heard that the coffee is pretty bad, unfortunately.
So I find myself feeling that Northside Grill is A-OK. They don't have big draws the way Angelo's has homemade bread or Sava's has a buffet. But it's reliable and fine diner food.
I just learned that they have a small side-porch, so I would be curious to sit outside and eat. But if you gave me other local brunch locations as choices instead of the porch here, I'd probably choose the other places.
They have their own parking lot and parking is free.

Plan to wait in line, luckily you will be waiting while enjoying free coffee. They have a pretty creative menu filled with tasty twists on the classics like the Big Easy Skillet. The dining room may remind you of your grandmother's breakfast nook, very "homey." Pro tip: If you are waiting in line (estimated 15 min+) on a cold michigan winter morning, your best bet is to grab a cup of coffee and wait in your car with the heat on until your buzzer goes off.

Though I live in the neighborhood I have only been there a few time because they ALWAYS seem to botch something up. No cheese in the omelet, putting meat in a vegetarian dish, different toast than requested....little things like that. I have never dined there and had the correct meal served to either myself or my dinner companions and it is not like anyone is making special request. When one is paying an average of $10 or more for breakfast or a sandwich it should be made correctly the first time. It's average diner fare at best. Further more no one really goes out of their way to make it right for you, the staff are often zombie like. So today we figured we would try one last time but the straw that broke the back, no carryout on the weekends, who has time to wait almost an hour to eat at Northside on Sunday?? And free coffee while you wait doesn't take the sting off the long wait when you don't drink the stuff. I used to think this diner was busy because of maybe great food or amazing service, but really it is just the only spot to eat breakfast this side of town. • • •

Though I live in the neighborhood I have only been there a few time because they ALWAYS seem to botch something up. No cheese in the omelet, putting meat in a vegetarian dish, different toast than requested....little things like that. I have never dined there and had the correct meal served to either myself or my dinner companions and it is not like anyone is making special request. When one is paying an average of $10 or more for breakfast or a sandwich it should be made correctly the first time. It's average diner fare at best. Further more no one really goes out of their way to make it right for you, the staff are often zombie like. So today we figured we would try one last time but the straw that broke the back, no carryout on the weekends, who has time to wait almost an hour to eat at Northside on Sunday?? And free coffee while you wait doesn't take the sting off the long wait when you don't drink the stuff. I used to think this diner was busy because of maybe great food or amazing service, but really it is just the only spot to eat breakfast this side of town.

We visited the Northside Grill for a late lunch following a routine visit to the Kellog Eye Center nearby. It was quite the worst dining experience I have ever experienced in an Ann Arbor eatery of any kind. It began and continued with a sullen, unsmiling, uncommunicative and general unpleasant server. The coffees duly arrived -- the filter coffee just about acceptable (despite the strange boiled skimmed milk) and an undrinkable latte for my partner. The food followed -- an acceptabe BLT for my partner and an acceptable eggs-over-easy, hash browns and bacon for me, with 2 pancakes to finish. No toast or bread. The check, when it arrived from the still insolent server, was the last straw. Every item on my 'standard' breakfast was charged as a 'side' (even the eggs were charged individually) and pancakes and maple syrup were charged separately, All leading to an staggering bill of $26, about $16 of which was for my nearly-standard breakfast. I have eaten in establishments across the whole of Ann Arbor for 15 years, and have never experienced such an appalling experience. The proprietor made some minor adjustments after I had responded appropriately to his, "Was everything alright, sir?" My partner and I will not be going to the Northside Grill again. Ever. Vastly overrated. • • •

We visited the Northside Grill for a late lunch following a routine visit to the Kellog Eye Center nearby. It was quite the worst dining experience I have ever experienced in an Ann Arbor eatery of any kind. It began and continued with a sullen, unsmiling, uncommunicative and general unpleasant server. The coffees duly arrived -- the filter coffee just about acceptable (despite the strange boiled skimmed milk) and an undrinkable latte for my partner. The food followed -- an acceptabe BLT for my partner and an acceptable eggs-over-easy, hash browns and bacon for me, with 2 pancakes to finish. No toast or bread. The check, when it arrived from the still insolent server, was the last straw. Every item on my 'standard' breakfast was charged as a 'side' (even the eggs were charged individually) and pancakes and maple syrup were charged separately, All leading to an staggering bill of $26, about $16 of which was for my nearly-standard breakfast. I have eaten in establishments across the whole of Ann Arbor for 15 years, and have never experienced such an appalling experience. The proprietor made some minor adjustments after I had responded appropriately to his, "Was everything alright, sir?" My partner and I will not be going to the Northside Grill again. Ever. Vastly overrated.